MLU FORUM - Canadian Ammo Manufacturer Gone..

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Canadian Ammo Manufacturer Gone..

GD has bought out our ammo manuafacturer now and with the trade agreemants in place after 9/11 and the security issues with personel working is US armament industries,which agreements this Company now falls under,anyone with the wrong personal profile will not be able to work there..
And we will be lucky ,under the present trade agreements if we can even buy ammo from this US company ,
I can't remember the actual clause in the agreement but probably Clive would know the limiting clauses in these agreements ....
This sale now brings us under US control what we can and can't buy for ammo.

Quote:

General Dynamics Completes Acquisition of SNC Technologies Inc.
FALLS CHURCH, VA, Jan. 8 /CNW/ - General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) today
completed its acquisition of SNC Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary
of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. (Toronto: SNC) of Montreal, Quebec, for
approximately US$275 million (CAN$315 million). Plans for the acquisition were
announced on February 23, 2006. SNC Technologies Inc. ("SNC TEC") is an
ammunition system integrator that supplies small-, medium- and large-caliber
ammunition and related products to the Canadian Forces, other national defense
customers and law enforcement agencies around the world.
The acquisition, which was approved by the governments of Canada and the
United States, will be immediately accretive to General Dynamics.
Charles M. Hall, General Dynamics executive vice president for Combat
Systems, said, "By adding SNC TEC's strengths to those of General Dynamics
Ordnance and Tactical Systems, we will improve its competitive position and
increase its reach beyond the Canadian market. Through this acquisition, we
are building a stronger foundation for growth and a greater capacity to
capture new opportunities globally."
In seeking Canadian government approval of the acquisition, General
Dynamics entered an agreement with the Minister of Public Works and Government
Services Canada that establishes the company's commitment to helping to ensure
Canada's ability to develop and manufacture ammunition within its own borders;
to continue assigning the highest priority to meeting the Canadian Forces'
ammunition and explosives requirements, now and in the future; and to
strengthening the organization's research and development capability in
Canada.
The agreement also provides for the maintenance of SNC TEC's facilities
within their current provincial borders; utilization of Canadian skills,
services, materials and knowledge to the maximum extent possible; and the
establishment of an ongoing consultative mechanism with the Government of
Canada to ensure that the SNC TEC organization continues to meet Canada's
ammunition requirements and objectives over time.
Hall said, "We reached an agreement with the Government of Canada that
will maintain and potentially expand the facilities, skill sets and work force
necessary to develop and manufacture ammunition within Canada's national
boundaries, while enabling General Dynamics to earn a fair return on its
investment."
SNC TEC employs approximately 1,600 workers at sites near Montreal and
Quebec City, Valleyfield and Nicolet, Quebec. It will become part of the
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems business unit, which is a world
leader in the manufacture of large- and medium-caliber direct and
indirect-fire munitions, bomb bodies and Ball Powder(R) propellant.

Headquartered in Le Gardeur, Quebec, SNC TEC is a main supplier of
ammunition used by the Canadian Department of National Defence. It also
supplies small-, medium- and large-caliber ammunition to the U.S. Defense
Department, as well as Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Holland,
Hong Kong, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, New Zealand, Oman, Singapore, Sweden,
Thailand, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
The company also produces pyrotechnics, propellants and explosives for the
military; small-caliber training ammunition and related training devices.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs
approximately 81,100 people worldwide, and expects 2006 revenues of
approximately $24 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical
information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems,
armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business
aviation.

NOTE: Currency conversions were calculated at the Feb. 22, 2006, rate of
US$0.87 to CAN $1.00.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are
based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions.
Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and
variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to
the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, as amended. Actual future results and trends may differ materially from
what is forecast in forward-looking statements.

For further information: Rob Doolittle of General Dynamics, (703)
876-3199, Fax: (703) 876-3555, rdoolitt@generaldynamics.com, Web site:
http://www.generaldynamics.com

Now that we have sold GM Defence (also to General Dynamics), Diemaco (manufacturers of our Small Arms) to Colt and SNC-TEC to GD we don't have a lot of industry dedicated to the 'pointy end'.
I am not surprised that GD wanted our ammo manufacrurer as they cannot produce enough for on-going US Ops. I fear, as Alex has hinted, that once GD HQ tells their subsidiary what to do here in Canada DN will find itself sucking hind-teat to get deliveries to meet its operational needs. We already see the US attitiude in London at GDLS where they manufacture the LAV III and the US Stryker (along with Aust, NZ and Saudi versions). In those areas where there is Stryker manufacture, Canadians (including CF Officers) have been told that they do not have clearance and cannot enter.

Didn't you know...

...Canadian soldiers are no longer called "soldiers" but "peacekeepers" and we only fight for the hearts and minds of the opposition (no longer called enemies) . So with the information that Canadians don't fight for anything getting out around the world, what would we need bullets for? Much better to build greenhouses and plant flowers to bombard non democratic governments with.
This is the message I keep seeing on tv and when I talk to people they have no idea what incredible soldiers we have. It seems most people think they are policemen .
Sean

Re: Didn't you know...

Quote:

Originally posted by Snowtractor
...Canadian soldiers are no longer called "soldiers" but "peacekeepers" and we only fight for the hearts and minds of the opposition (no longer called enemies) . So with the information that Canadians don't fight for anything getting out around the world, what would we need bullets for? Much better to build greenhouses and plant flowers to bombard non democratic governments with.
This is the message I keep seeing on tv and when I talk to people they have no idea what incredible soldiers we have. It seems most people think they are policemen .
Sean

Only us military folks know what mean bastards our young soldiers can be. It's a fine and long tradition I'm really proud of. Just too bad our media haven't figured this out (or, if they have, admitted it). :(

Quote:

Originally posted by servicepub
In those areas where there is Stryker manufacture, Canadians (including CF Officers) have been told that they do not have clearance and cannot enter.

THAT pisses me off. But this whole issue reminds me of when DA was closed down to shift production across the river to Valcartier Quebec, which produced the worst bloody ammunition I ever had the displeasure of using. :mad:

Quote:

Originally posted by Geoff Winnington-Ball
.. Valcartier Quebec, which produced the worst bloody ammunition I ever had the displeasure of using. :mad:

General JJ Paradis had a post-retirment job flogging IVI munitions to South America. He told me that even they wouldn't buy the stuff.

Quote:

Originally posted by servicepub
General JJ Paradis had a post-retirment job flogging IVI munitions to South America. He told me that even they wouldn't buy the stuff.

It was the worst crap I've ever shot, and I can shoot well enough to know the difference, anything from 9mm to 7.62. DA ammunition circa 1968 was the best in the world, better than US National Match (and I've been told so by Yanks in the competition circuit). As an example, 8" groups with 9mm at 25 yards, when I could do two inches with a sixty year-old Remington-Rand .45? I can do minute-of-angle at 200m with 7.62, but no bloody way with IVI. Thank you, Mr. Trudeau. And now our ammunition stocks are going to be diverted? :mad:

I have always used surplus IVI in both my Inglis hi-power and Sterling police carbine SMG. Never once have I had a ammunition failure with the stuff. I like the extra ooomph thats in the military ammo. I am now down to my last couple of hundred rounds of IVI 9mm, and don't know where I am going to find more.

The real shortfall is on .303. Apparently IVI still makes up small batches for use by the rangers. Shame they cannot make more for the Cdn market. .303 from any country is just plain getting impossible to find.

I never could figure out why a company that makes ammunition in a country can't sell to it's own citizens.

Quote:

Originally posted by servicepub
We already see the US attitiude in London at GDLS where they manufacture the LAV III and the US Stryker . In those areas where there is Stryker manufacture, Canadians (including CF Officers) have been told that they do not have clearance and cannot enter.

Clive,

That does make for some funny situations at the factory as well as where the ballistic testing is done! This is all part of the game that is the defence industry.

Stewart

PS - thanks for the CD that you sent me - it is really appreciated!

This is what they said:
"General Dynamics entered an agreement with the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada that establishes the company's commitment to helping to ensure Canada's ability to develop and manufacture ammunition within its own borders; to continue assigning the highest priority to meeting the Canadian Forces' ammunition and explosives requirements, now and in the future; and to strengthening the organization's research and development capability in Canada."

This is what they meant:

There's a reason we're 'lean & mean'....